Means for nosing shells



Feb. 2, 1960 e. A. LYON MEANS FOR NOSING SHELLS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 30. 1953 George Alben Lyon b 7 7 %ZZLJ75 Feb. 2, 1960 G. A. LYON 2,923,048

MEANS FOR NOSING SHELLS Filed Dec. so. 1953 s Sheets-Sheet 2 III R IIITI 15:7 FE 1712:? T Georye Albert Lyon Feb. 2, 1960 LYON 2,923,048

MEANS FOR NOSING SHELLS Filed Dec. 50. 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I13 r a 7:22 a T George Albert [.9022

United States 'The present invention relates to nosing of ordnance shells such as bomb head and artillery shells.

In the making of ordnance shells taper nosing is effected in order to afford a symmetrical tapered form to the nose portion of the shell. In large sizes of such shells such, for example, as may be used as the nose components of bombs of the low drag type which are transported to and dropped upon targets by bombing planes, nosing in of the shells presents a substantial problem in the matter of preventing the thin side wall of the shell from caving in or buckling or collapsing as an incident to the nosing operation which must necessarily be accomplished uniformly and symmetrically, most effectively by means of axially operable nosing die appa- Iatus.

An important object of the present invention is to provide an improved expedient for efficiently nosing thin walled ordnance shells.

Another object of .the invention is to provide an improved method of nosing thin walled ordnance shells without distortions of the tubular wall thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for nosing thin walled ordnance shells.

Still another object of the invention is to provide improved method of and means for nosing shells by utilizing a combination of mechanical and hydraulic features.

Yet another object of the invention is to effect nosing of thin walled shells while not only providing against caving in of the shell wall but also affording lubrication for the nosing die apparatus so as to relieve the shell wall substantially from axial compression forces during the nosing operation.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a more or less schematic vertical sectional view through a nosing die apparatus showing the same .in operative relation to a shell to be nosed;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the apparatus during the nosing operation; and

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the apparatus at 'the conclusion of the nosing stroke operation of the :apparatus.

A shell 5 to be nosed (Fig. 1) has an elongated tubu- '1ar thin wall 7 and a thicker bottom wall 8 while the open end nose portion of the shell is provided with an inter- :nally thickened, tapered annular nose collar 9 to provide material which in the nosed shell will afford ample mass to enable machining as is customary to receive a tip atent ice or fuse plug. The present invention is directed to taper nosing the shell efilciently without buckling or caving in ofv the thin tubular wall 7 of the shell.

For supporting the base portion of the shell 5 during the nosing operation, a supporting block 10 has a cavity 11 therein complementary to the base portion of the wardly and shaped to the symmetrical tapered contour desired in the finished nose of the shell. A head plate or block 19 supports the nosing die 17 and may be mounted upon or operatively carried in association With the ram of a press. When the nosing die 17 is driven axially toward the shell supporting base block 10 with the shell 5 disposed as shown in Fig. 1 to enter nose first into the nosing cavity 18, gradual contraction of the nose portion of the shell is effected until the relationship shown in Fig. 3 is attained wherein the nose portion of the shell is fully nosed to the desired symmetrically tapered form.

In order to avoid radially outward buckling or distortion of the shell wall 7 during the nosing stroke operation of the nosing die 17, cooperative means are provided on the base block 10 and on the nosing die 17 for effectively supporting the shell wall 7 externally. To this end the base block 10 is provided with a series of uniformly spaced upward extension fingers 20 having their inner surfaces conforming as upward extensions of the shell receiving cavity 11 so as to encircle supportingly the portion of the shell wall 7 above the base end portion of such wall that is encompassed within the cavity 11. Complementally related to the supporting fingers 20 is a series of anti-buckling'fingers 21 depending from the die block 17 in encircling slidable relation about the shell wall 7 and arranged to interfit with the upstanding fingers 20 as the base and die blocks are relatively moved toward one another. Since during the nosing operation greatest tendency toward outward buckling occurs adjacentto the nose of the shell, reinforcement against possible radially outward distortion of the fingers 21 is provided in the form of a ferrule or collar comprising a tubular ring 22 closely encircling the fingers 21 and secured to the lower end portion of the die block 17.

According to the present invention, internal buckling or caving in or distortion of the shell wall 7 during the nosing operation is avoided hydraulically. To this end, the shell 5 is filled with hydraulic fluid which may be water, but is preferably oil since oil has higher lubricating value. As shell nosing progresses, the hydraulic fluid is maintained under pressure within the shell sufficient to retain the shell wall 7 positively against inward distortion.

Means for effecting internal hydraulic support of the shell wall 7 comprises a device for introducing hydraulic fluid into the shell and then in maintaining the fluid under adequate shell wall supporting pressure. Herein the device comprises'a stem-like pipe or duct 23 of a length to extend from a substantial distance above the head plate 19 through the head plate and into the shell 5, with the tip of the stem member 23 preferably operatively engaging the base 8 of the shell. A pressure seal against leakage from within the die cavity 18 which opens through the top of the die block 17 to accommodate the stem 23, is maintained by suitable pressure packing 24 held in place by a gland nut 25. The relationship is such that the stem duct member 23 is reciprocably slidably engagedwithin the packing glan'd- 24, 25'. For operation, the stem duct 23 is introduced into the shell cooperatively with movement of the nosing die 17 into nosing relation to the upper end portion of the shell 5 supported for this purpose by the base block 10. Hydraulic fluid is then introduced into the shell 5 through a vertical series of ports 27 in the stern duct 23. Pressure of the hydraulic fluid thus introduced into the shell is suflicient at least to fill not only the interior of the shell but also the nosing cavity 18 completely and allow for leakage past the nose portion of the shell within the lower portion of the nosing cavity.

In order to avoid hydraulic resistance to axial nosing movement of the nosing die 17 in the initial phase of nosing contraction in the lower largest diameter portion of the nosing cavity 18 wherein the amount of contraction is only slight to start the nosing taper of the shell and therefore axial compression on the shell wall 7 will be of such moderate extent as to be readily withstood by the wall without any danger of buckling, means are provided for hydraulic pressure relief, herein comprising a suitable annular series of small metering orifices 28 formed in the lower portion of the nosing die 17 a predetermined distance above the mouth of the nosing cavity 18 to enable the unrestricted initial phase nosing cooperation of the cavity wall with the shell. The metering orifices 28' lead from the nosing cavity 18 through the overlapping portion of the re-enforcing ring 22. Fluid that issues from the metering orifices 28 is recovered in a sump that may be provided by a container 29 of suitable proportion mounted on the bed or base plate or block about the nosing die mechanism.

Instead of operating the nosing die 17 in a continuous nosing stroke, it is preferably driven by intermittent nosing stroke increments and between such increments is backed olf, as depicted in full and dash outline in Fig. 2. Thereby the nosing cavity wall is maintained thoroughly lubricated and cooled by the hydraulic fluid which is encouraged to flow into the space between the shell nose and the nosing cavity wall during each backing ofl of the die by the pressure relief afiorded through the metering orifices 28. During backing 05 of the nosing die 17, the stem duct 23 serves as a stripper by its engagement with the base wall 8 of the shell.

Control of internal pressure of the hydraulic fluid within the shell 5 during nosing is effected by a pressure relief valve 30 which may be disposed in a branch duct 31 leading from the stern duct 23. Thereby just the maximum pressure required to avoid any tendency toward collapsing of the shell wall 7 during nosing is afforded and minimum resistance to the nosing stroke of the nosing die 17 is presented in operation.

It will thus be apparent that nosing of the shell 5 by the present method and apparatus can be effected smoothly and uniformly without either external or internal collapsing of the thin shell wall and with minimum wear of the nosing die from friction or heating by virtue of the continuous hydraulic bath and lubrication to which the die is subjected in operation not only internally but also externally. 1

It will be'understod that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In apparatus for nosing shells, nosing die structure 4 I including a fixed shell base support and a nosing die reciprocable relative thereto, and combination stripper and hydraulic fluid supplying means operative through the nosing die both for internally supplying hydraulic fluid under pressure to the shell and for stripping the shell from the die structure.

2. In a shell nosing die assembly, means for supporting a shell to be nosed, a nosing die having a nosing cavity therein for engaging the nose portion of the shell to taper nose the same, means for supporting the nosing die operativoly, a combination stripper and hydraulic fluid supply stem and duct passing through said die supporting means and into the nosing cavity for interior engagement with the bottom of the shell, and means providing a fluid seal between the stem duct and the die supporting means enabling relative reciprocation of the die and die supporting means and the stem duct said stem remaining in engagement with the shell bottom while the nosing die is backed olf so as to mechanically strip the shell from the nosing die.

3. In a nosing die assembly, a supporting structure in- .cluding a reservoir Within which is immersed in use a supporting structure for the base end portion of a shell to be nosed with the nose portion of the shell projecting upwardly, a nosing die having a cavity therein and being supported for reciprocation relative to said supporting structure for subjecting the nose end portion of the shell to nosing compression within the cavity, and a stern member extending longitudinally through the nosing die cavity for holding the shell on said supporting structure and initially against buoyant displacement by the fluid in the reservoir and also serving as a stripper to assure dislodg ment of the nosed shell from the nosing die cavity.

4. In a shell nosing apparatus, means for supporting the base portion of a shell to be nosed, nosing die apparatus providing a nosing cavity engageable with the nose por tion of a shell to be nosed, and a lubricant supply ductstem extending longitudinally through the nosing die cavity and engageable with the base portion of a shell supported by said supporting means, said stem being mounted for relative reciprocation of the nosing die and having means for introducing into the shell and into the nosing die vcavity lubricating fluid, the nosing die being operable to eflfect repeated nosing compression engage ments with the nose portion of the die with back-offs between nosing compression engagements whereby to enable spill-over or leakage lubrication between the'nose surfaces of the shell and the opposing nosing die cavity surfaces as nosing progresses, said stem maintaining the' shell in engagement with the supporting means during back-oflis of the nosing die.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means comprises an elongated stem duct arranged to extend into the shell and engage the inside of the bottom wall thereof.

6. In a shell nosing apparatus, means for supporting the base portion of a shell to be nosed, nosing die apparatus providing a nosing cavity engageable with the nose portion of a shell to be nosed, and a lubricant supply duct-stem extending longtiudinally through the nosing die cavity and engageable with the base portion of a shell supported by said supporting means, said stem being mounted for relative reciprocation of the nosing die and having means for introducing into the shell and into the nosing die cavity lubricating fluid, the nosing die being operable to effect repeated nosing compression engagements with the nose portion of the die with backoffs between nosing compression engagements whereby to enable spill-over or leakage lubrication between the nose surfaces of the shell and the opposing nosing die cavity surfaces as nosing progresses, said nosing die having bleed orifices extending from the nosing cavity adjacent to the mouth end thereof to the outside of the nosing die and during nosing being blocked off by the nosed portion of the shell but being opened during said back-offs to promote said leakage lubrication, said stem maintaining the shell in engagement with the supporting means during back-offs of the nosing die.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Squires 2 Jan. 16, 1934 10 6 Squires Feb. 27, 1934 Heineman Aug. 29, 1944 Layton July 16, 1946 Stephens Sept. 17, 1946 Woods Sept. 19, 1950 Kranenberg Aug. 18, 1953 Livermont et a1 Sept. 7, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Jan. 29, 1946 

